Cross Purposes
by beaglesplus7
Summary: Set after Clash of the Titans.  This is from both Jo and Zanes's POV.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The first chapter is from Jo's Pov only, Zane's will follow in a later one. As soon as I can write him as something other than a clueless nitwit ;) ((Sigh)) which is all that was coming out when I tried to start the second chapter.**

**I don't own Eureka I just play with the characters**

Jo sighed, as she stared at the glass of ouzo SARAH had poured her and thought about her day. She was thrilled Henry and Grace had loved their surprise wedding. Jo could hardly believe the couple hadn't caught on to her wedding planner on steroids tactics, but really how else was she supposed to figure out what they would really want. "_Well at least one couple gets a happy new timeline ending. It's nice to know it's possible. It's too bad it won't be happening for Jack and Allison too. Someone should really just shoot that relationship auditor."_ The man had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and he was a little creepy.

Jo downed her drink and wondered if it would at least numb the feelings she was having a little. Was Zane already gone or would he still be there tomorrow? As much fun as saying "goodbye" was Jo wasn't sure she could keep doing it. It was so much easier to just rip the bandage off not this slow pull thing she and Zane seemed to be doing over his leaving. Keeping up the whole I'm happy for you face was getting harder and harder to do with him. She didn't want him to leave but she wasn't going to stand in the way of whatever made him happy. _"And apparently I'm not it."_ Jo thought sadly.

Jo contemplated asking SARAH to refill the glass, but decided getting good and drunk wasn't going to fix anything just give her a hangover. If Jo had know getting Zane a pardon meant he would just up and leave she might not have done it. "_Yes I would have, he deserves it."_ And he did, Zane deserved the chance to live his life however he wanted whether that meant going to Titan with her or leaving Eureka. Apparently leaving Eureka was more important than screwing some expectations.

Jo still couldn't quite believe that after all the hard work Zane had put into showing everyone he was qualified for the Astraeous Mission that he would just up and leave it all behind. The man really couldn't commit to anything fully. "_Thank God I didn't let myself get too close this time around."_ Nope not too close, just close enough to get hurt by him leaving. Not devastated like she'd been when she'd returned to this timeline, but it hurt none the less.

Jo felt like destiny was slapping her in the face. It seemed that no matter what timeline they were in one of them would always leave. _"Whoever said you make your own destiny was full of shit."_ The author of that less than factual piece of wisdom had never been shuffled around from one timeline to the next. It didn't matter what she wanted, destiny or fate apparently didn't agree with her. It didn't matter that she wanted Zane to not only stay but to make that decision himself. What right did she have to stand in the way of Zane doing what was going to make him the happiest? None. No if he really wanted to go it would be wrong of her to try and change that. The man just got his freedom back she couldn't ask him to give that up, no matter how much it hurt or disappointed her.

She just needed to face the facts. What Zane really wanted was to get the hell out of town. Yeah he liked having sex with her but he didn't want anything more from her than that. Truthfully Jo wasn't sure what more she wanted from Zane yet, she still couldn't answer Zoe's question about whether or not she loved him. It didn't really matter since she wouldn't be getting the chance to find out.

Jo stood up and put her glass in the sink before heading off to bed. She didn't know if Zane would still be there in the morning, she hoped he would be. She wanted him to change his mind and decide that there were reasons to stick around. She didn't really believe it would happen though. She wasn't sure exactly why Zane hadn't already left town but she very much doubted he would suddenly decide to stay.

"_Yep"_ Jo thought as she climbed the stairs "_This timeline still really sucks."_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Special thanks to my friend Hera for providing me with the quote: There is a difference between thinking you desreve to be happy and Knowing you are worthy of happiness. It helped inspire me.**

**This chapter is from Zane's POV.**

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><p>Zane drove his motorcycle down the mountain roads just outside of Eureka, with no particular destination in mind. He just need some time to clear his head, time to figure out where to go now that he was free to leave. "<em>Yep free as a bird. It's time I made this town nothing more than a memory. So what the hell is stopping me?"<em> The ability to leave was what he had wanted ever since he'd arrived. No more being told what to do, no more being locked up for pulling a prank, no more threats of being sent to prison. "_Who wouldn't want that?"_ Of course it also meant no going to Titan and no more Jo.

Zane had been dreaming nonstop of the moment he'd be free to leave ever since he'd arrived in Eureka. Well, maybe not lately, lately all of his dreams starred a certain Chief of Security, but he didn't want to think of those dreams at the moment. No, even thinking about them made him need a cold shower or a visit to her office, SARAH or any place else he knew Jo would be.

Pulling over at an outlook, Zane removed his helmet and sat looking up at the stars. "_Going to Titan would be so cool_." But he'd had a plan; he'd made himself a promise a long time ago. His plan had included keeping the citizen of Eureka at arm's length, not letting anyone get too close. Have some fun, push the envelope and wreak as much havoc as he could without actually being sent back to prison. And most importantly get the hell out of there the first chance he got.

It was his plan that had kept him sane during his time in Eureka. The little town where everyone knew everyone else's business was so not his style. He'd resented the hell out of others having a say in his life and what projects he worked on.

Now though, now all of that seemed unimportant. If Zane was completely honest with himself he'd never really given Eureka or anyone in it much of a chance before. At least not until lately, lately he'd found that working with the others and being part of the team was much more satisfying than antagonizing all of them. Now, he'd discovered spending time with Jo was way more fun than pissing her off had ever been.

Zane let his mind finally wander to thoughts of Jo. As much as he really loved the idea of going to Titan, Jo was the real reason he hadn't left yet. _"Why does that damn woman have to be so stubborn about everything? Was wanting her to ask him to stay really asking for too much? Hell was wanting her to give a damn if he left asking too much?"_ Zane let out a frustrated and somewhat angry sigh.

He knew she'd enjoyed their "goodbyes" just as much as he had. But when it was over she'd acted almost like she couldn't care less if he left. It felt like now that he'd told her was thinking of leaving she couldn't get rid of him fast enough. What had she said to him earlier? Oh, yeah "What are you waiting for a goodbye party?" or something like that. He'd wanted to tell her exactly what he was waiting for. He was waiting for her to show that she gave a damn, for her to see him as something other than just a warm body and a good time.

Zane got off his bike and began pacing. Ok so yeah when Fargo had come to him for Advice that morning he had honestly thought that Dessert and a lot of it was the way to go in any good relationship. But sometime during that second goodbye with Jo Zane realized he wanted the whole meal with her. He wanted the meat and potatoes right along with the dessert. No way was giving up having sex with Jo. _"Only an idiot would give up having mind blowing, incredible sex with a gorgeous woman." _But he wanted more, a lot more. Even when they were having sex Jo always held a part of herself back.

"_It's not like I want Jo to make a life time commitment."_ No, he wasn't anywhere near ready for that. But he would like it if she opened up a little bit and let him in. Zane thought about how he'd caught her holding the wedding dress up to herself and humming happily. That had been the second time he'd seen her completely let her guard down. Of course, just like the first time Jo had thought she was alone and free to do so. _"It'd be nice if she felt free to do that when she knows I'm around."_

No, he wasn't looking for a lifetime here. Just a real chance to see where things could go, a chance to show her that he was worth the effort and that maybe, just maybe, they did work.

All he needed was one little word from her, one little hint from her that she wanted him to stay. He just didn't think was going to get it from her and that… that hurt like hell.

Zane turned and got back onto his bike. As he started it he realized he hadn't made the decision he'd come out there to make, where to go when he left. But as he took off back towards town he did make one decision. _"I'm not going anywhere until I give Jo one more chance to change her mind."_

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><p><strong>AN: Next chapter coming soon. Its time for Zane and Jo to have a chat ;) Well at least my idea of them having a chat anyways. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Zane walked into the rotunda of Global, he was very late for work and he knew it. _"What are they going to do fire me?" _He'd spent most of the night trying to figure out how he was going to set up his next and probably final goodbye with Jo. _"It's not like Jo is likely to have changed her mind about us since last night."_ Zane thought a little resentfully.

He was just starting to head towards Jo's office and put his plan in motion when Fargo came running up to him. "Oh good you're still here, I thought you'd left town already. " Fargo said sounding flustered.

"_Well at least someone will miss me, even if it's not exactly who I was hoping for." _Zane thought to himself ruefully. To Fargo he just raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Yeah, I haven't figured out where I want to go yet. What's up?"

"We have a problem with the computers for the cold fusion lab and no one seems to be able to figure it out. We were hoping you could take a look at it." Fargo replied.

"Ah, yeah, I'll go check on it in a bit. There's something I wanted to do first."

"Ummm, hello! The computers for the cold fusion containment system are failing. Don't you think that takes priority over anything else?" Fargo asked, the frustration clear in his voice.

"Yeah alright, don't get your panties in a twist, I'm going." Zane replied, unhappy that he would have to put off his goodbye with Jo.

Zane turned and headed off in the direction of the lab, leaving Fargo behind looking rather pleased with himself.

Jo stood in the middle of the now almost empty cold fusion lab wondering where in the hell Fargo was and what in the lab could possibly represent a big enough security threat that Fargo was all worked up. _"I really don't care what the problem is just so long as it's big enough to distract me." _Jo thought sadly. He'd left, Zane had really left Eureka. At least Jo assumed he'd gone since he hadn't shown up for work today. _"Well I knew it was coming, it's not like he didn't warn me repeatedly."_ She just wished that it didn't hurt so damn much.

Jo tapped her foot impatiently, where the hell was Fargo? She really really needed the distraction right now. Jo turned when she heard the door to the lab slide open. She began blinking rapidly and tried to school the emotions showing on her face when she saw Zane enter. _"He's still here."_ Jo felt relief and anger rising inside her at the sight of him.

Zane stopped up short when he saw Jo standing in the middle of the lab. The sight of her, like it always did, made him want to lock the door and find the nearest clean surface. "Hey, Fargo said they were having problems with the computers." He told Jo, flashing her a tight smile.

Jo turned around, sweeping her arms out indicating the now almost empty room. "What computers? If this is some kind of prank you and Fargo set up I don't get and I don't find it funny. I have things to do." Jo said exacerbated. She was relieved to see Zane, but she didn't want to get into another round of goodbyes with him. It hurt too much to keep it up.

"Fargo told me there was a problem, I came to fix it. If anyone is being punked here it's me." Zane snapped back, taking a look around the room. _"Well that answers that; Jo hasn't changed her mind about us at all. Time to hit the road." _AngrilyZane turned to leave, but the door refused to open. "What the hell?" He began to take the panel for the door controls apart when a voice come over the intercom.

"Don't bother I locked the doors from the outside." Fargo smugly informed Zane and Jo.

"What the hell Fargo. Open the door. I'm so not in the mood." Jo ground out.

"No!" Fargo snapped back, then remembering who he was talking to softened his voice. If this didn't work out Jo was going to kill him. "At least not until the two of you have talked and I mean really talked."

"Talk about what?" Zane asked

"Oh I don't know, how about the fact that you're leaving when you don't really want to go and the fact that Jo really doesn't want you to leave either. When the two of you have worked that out I'll open the door. I don't think, hmmm, dessert is really the only thing you want Zane. I'll check in on you two later." Fargo replied back. _"This better work or I am a dead man."_

"Fargo! Fargo open the damn door!" Jo snapped, but she got no answer.

"What's the matter? Don't want to be stuck with me all day with nothing to talk about but us." Zane quipped. His gaze raked up and down her, the heat clear in his eyes. "Don't worry we can come up with something else to do."

Jo flashed back to another time she had been trapped with the other Zane when they were on the verge of breaking up. "Been there, done that. Just be happy we're not trapped in a block of cement." Jo replied, letting out a small snort.

Zane knew she was thinking about something that had happened between her and the other him and it made Zane angry. It was really hard to compete against a life you couldn't remember. Right then he really wished the other him had never existed. At least then whatever this thing was that was happening between him and Jo would be just between him and Jo. Not him, Jo and other him.

Zane let the anger show in his face as he turned and replied to Jo's comment. "Don't do that, I'm not him. Why can't you just deal with me, with what is happening between us now, without comparing it to what you had before?"

Jo blinked, was she doing that? _"Yes I guess I am, but then again so is he."_ Jo took a step forward and went on the attack. "Oh that's rich coming from the guy that told me most of our conversations end with me reading you your rights. The guy that just yesterday told me I wouldn't be able to lock you up anymore. If I remember correctly I've locked you up exactly once since I got here and I'm the one that let you out so you could run off instead of going to prison. So in case it's escaped you, I'm not the enforcer either." Jo snapped making air quotes when she used Zane's nickname for the other her.*

"_She's right. I have been doing the same thing to her." _Zane's anger subsided a little. "You're right and I'm sorry. I guess we both are having some issues with letting go of the past."

"Well, I guess that won't be a problem for us much longer." Jo replied back, her anger still reaching the boiling point and she knew it. But anger was so much easier to deal with than hurt. _"Good Lord I didn't realize just how angry with him I am. If he's going to leave why won't he just do it and get it over with."_

Zane felt his anger starting to rise again _"Fucking perfect, she's angry. Why in the hell is she angry with me?" _He took a few calming breathes. He'd told himself he was going to give this one more try and fighting with her sure as hell wasn't going to accomplish that.

"I don't want it to be a problem for us at all. I want, I want…." Zane's voice trailed off. Was he really going to do this? Was he going to put himself out there just so she could cut him off at the knees?

"What, what do you want Zane? Because frankly, I'm having a hard time trying to figure it out. I thought you wanted to go to Titan. Then I thought you wanted out of Eureka as fast as your bike would take you. Now, now I have no idea want you want. Both options are open to you, yet you don't seem to be taking either one." Jo snapped at him, and then let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. She was tired. Tired of being hurt, tired of trying to figure things out, just tired.

"_It's now or never."_ Zane thought to himself. Jo just looked…well she kind of looked liked she'd reached the end of her rope. If he was ever going to get her to admit that he, they, meant something to each other it would have to be now. He took a step closer to her. Close enough that he could smell that scent that was particularly Jo.

Shaking his head to clear it of the thoughts he usually had when he got close to her. Zane stated simply "Fargo was right I want more than just dessert. I want the meat and potatoes too. Hell Jo I want you, well both of us, too commit to the whole meal." **

Jo's eyes snapped opened clearly confused. "What? You want to go to dinner? Your big plans for your life are we go out on a date?"

Zane wondered how the conversation had gotten so off track. He reached out and took her hand and tried explaining himself to her again. "No, I mean yes. Actually I was thinking of several dates, real dates Jo. I don't want to skip past the being friends part, in fact I don't want to skip any part. I want the getting to know you and courtship phase. I want us to be together Jo, really together."

Jo looked up at him trying to tell if he was serious. _"He is… He's serious about this. But am I really ready for this?"_ Jo realized it didn't matter if she was ready for it or not she wanted the same thing.

Zane put his arms around her waist and bent his head down to kiss her. He didn't stop until they were both gasping for air "I want all of it and I want it with you." He told her, his voice husky.

"Yes" Jo whispered "I want that too." A mischievous smile lit up her face as she put her lips next to his ear and asked "Can we start with dessert first?"

Zane felt the spark that was always there between them ignite into an inferno. As he backed her up against the wall he growled "That's my JoJo." Then he crushed her lips with his again as he proceeded to make sure she got just the dessert she wanted.

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><p>*<strong>The comments Zane made to Jo in both Up in the Air and Clash of the Titans about her habit of arresting him, were kind of "Huh?" moments for me. It's not like Jo has been running around every other episode arresting Zane. So both of them holding on to the past was the best explanation I could come up with for them.<strong>

****I couldn't resist a nod to one of their old timeline fights. The whole Zane/Fargo conversations using a food analogy was just too perfect a set up for it. ; )**

**Thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story. Reviews are always a great inspiration to me.**


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